The beauty of being at Nannie's

• 
  
  Three square meals and lots of baked goods.
• 
  
  Going for a run and discovering a magical quarry.
• 
  
  Perusing the newest additions of homemade preserves.
• 
  
  A woodstove in the morning and fresh coffee.
• 
  
  A sunrise walk in the woods.
• 
  
  Stories and pictures of childhood.
• 
  
  A whole day without a lick of makeup.
• 
  
  Watching Patch Adams.
• 
  
  Helping with chores.
• 
  
  Salty air from the ocean.
• 
  
  Leaving with my arms full.
• 
  
  Leaving with my heart full.

Today is for aspens.

Colorado is yellow today. The aspens have turned and they are brilliant. I just love the gentle sound of their leaves clicking when the wind hits them. click. click. click-click-click.
The mountains here are spectacular. Breathtaking. They make me happy beyond words. I'm glad that I spent the day hiking and relishing. Tomorrow I leave for Maine and I've been acutely missing her ocean and scents and colors. And this is the perfect time of year to go. But I realize that I'm holding Colorado inside now. Even though I never really meant to. It's hard to believe that I've lived here for 2.5 years now.
Paths. You never now where they're going to take you.

beneath the soil

I spent the day on my hands and knees picking
roots the size of full grown ginger from the garden
and never realized the enormity of what continues on
in the darkness,
after you've left it for
another day.

- Summer 9/22/08

No idea where.

This weekend we're going to drive, no idea where. And stay in some hotel, that takes dogs. No idea where. And eat at some local place, like a diner. But no idea where. And we'll blast Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again", like we always do, as we drive out of town. To no idea where.

Tour de Fat comes to Denver!

The coolest festival in celebration of the BIKE. I mean really, the bike is one totally fab invention. The places you can go, the wind in your hair, the money you save on gas! Tour de Fat, brainchild of New Belgium Brewing Co, arrived to Denver with massive flair. It was costumed, vaudevillian, hippy, musical, creative, sassy and just downright fun.

If you live in a city and Tour de Fat comes to town, go. You'll be smiling the whole time.


like this guy.

a gospel choir! That takes beer breaks!


Jackie Brown rockin out the costume!


This bearded swiss miss lady definitely takes the cake.


And me with my little friend, Olivia. She's such a doll.


Nice bike.


Nice locks.


Nice moves.

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

in time

It's possible,

to entertain a wardrobe for some time, only to realize
you never really found your style.

To your right,

is an intersecting path, surely nowhere near as
comfortable as the path you walk every morning on the hour.
But it's there,
when you know you can not walk your road
any longer.

In time,

the burden of things that do not work
will weigh you down until your shoulders
break down
or you let go.

- Summer Richards, 9/12/08

changes

• The weather has shifted, a sharp contrast from the blazing heat of summer. The mad dash for favorite sweaters has begun...for today at least.

• My neighbor's fruit tree, formerly barren, exploded with peaches. They were juicy, sumptuous peaches that exploded all over the sidewalk, that fed the squirrels, other neighbors, and me, whenever desired.

• Saturday night I went to a bookstore. The lighting was soft yellow, accentuating. Teens were reading poetry to each other, couples read side by side. I walked the aisles, hot chai in hand, and let the massive circulating creativity fill me up.

• I don't know what this next season will bring. My energies from summer could use a little autumn healing.

Gluttony!

Blogs are great for being able to convey words, images, sometimes sounds. But blogger lacks me today because I cannot convey TASTE. And I wish I could share some wickedly wonderful tastes right now.

The Denver Food and Wine Classic was soooo wonderful. Tons of great Denver restaurants offering fine delicacies, and for every restaurant there were probably three wineries! I most certainly consumed my calorie quota for the week, all in just 4 teeny tiny hours.

And yes, we did manage to bike home....wobbly, but safe.


A food presentation by the "Denver 5"


Mike waiting to get some grub from the Tamayo booth.


The perfect taco.


Don't talk to me, I'm having a moment here!


I mean seriously!


This is Mike with Goose Sorenson of Solera. I had to take this picture because I think Goose is Mike's "eye twin". I mean look at those eyes...it's like seeing a long lost brother! And come to find out, he is Swedish like Mike.


Perfection.

Who doesn't love a fun guy?

Mushrooms are neat-o.

SOS...I'm too relaxed!

Would you believe me if I told you that I've been holed up in a little cabin in the woods, far removed from other human life (except Mike), stranded with no phone, no internet access, visited nightly by the wilds of the Rocky Mountains? Scary huh?

Well welcome to the new me! This is the MOST relaxed I have been in probably two years. It was great. Thanks to our friends Roger and Heather who were so very cool for donating their adorable little ranch house in Pagosa Springs. The week was spent mountain biking, walking, running, reading, taking pictures, playing the guitar, and a whole lot of relaxing.

Note: Here is one of the very best things ever:

It's morning. Sun's shining on your sleeping face. Time to get up you guess. Yawn! Stretch! Oh, you're still tired? Maybe just a little bit? Not quite totally ready to commit to getting up? Well GO BACK TO BED!!

Yes, one of the best things ever.

(Perhaps even second to getting water stuck in your ears, forgetting about it, and then having that warm flush of euphoria come pouring out at some random, unforeseen time.)

Oh, it's the little things in life.